In the prior art, there is known a cable protection and guide device including a number of link frame bodies connected to each other in a longitudinal direction of a cable (referred to as “a cable longitudinal direction” hereinafter). Each of the link frame bodies has a pair of link side plates provided so as to be spaced from each other in a lateral direction, and connecting arms bridging over outer and inner sides of the pair of link side plates connected flexibly in the cable longitudinal direction (referred to as “cable flexional outer and inner circumferential sides of the pair of link side plates” hereinafter). The device accommodates and guides a cable in the interior of the link frame bodies from one to the other of a cable fixed end and a cable movable end, and is capable of taking a linear position in which the device is in contact with a support surface of a support, and a flexional position in which the device is spaced from the support surface as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2007-247716 and 2007-285376 for example.
FIG. 8 shows a cable protection and guide device 500 as one example of such conventional cable protection and guide device.
Specifically, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing link side plates 510 of the conventional cable protection and guide device 500.
Each of the link frame bodies of the conventional cable protection and guide device 500 includes a pair link side plates 510 (only one side of them is shown) provided so as to be spaced from each other in a lateral direction, a first connecting arm 520 bridging over a cable flexional outer circumferential side of the pair of link side plates 510, and a second connecting arm 530 bridging over a cable flexional inner circumferential side of the pair of link side plates 510.
The link side plate 510 is integrally composed of a front side plate portion 511 connected to a preceding link side plate 510′ in the cable longitudinal direction to form the cable flexional inner circumferential side, a rear side plate portion 512 connected to a succeeding link side plate 510″ in the cable longitudinal direction to form the cable flexional outer circumferential side, and a linkage portion 513 being flexible and interposed between the front side plate portion 511 and the rear side plate portion 512.
The cable protection and guide device 500 is configured to be capable of taking a linear position in which the device 500 is in contact with a support surface 541 of a support 540, and a flexional position in which the device 500 is separated from the support surface 541.
The rear side plate portion 512 includes a first linear position holding surface 512a and a second linear position holding surface 512b respectively provided at rear and front sides thereof in the cable longitudinal direction.
When the device 500 is in the linear position, the first linear position holding surface 512a of the rear side plate portion 512 of the link side plate 510 is in surface contact with a second linear position holding surface 512b″ of a rear side plate portion 512″ of the succeeding link plate 510″.
The front side plate portion 511 includes a first flexional position restricting surface 511a and a second flexional position restricting surface 511b respectively provided at rear and front sides thereof in the cable longitudinal direction.
When the device 500 is in the flexional position, the first flexional position restricting surface 511a of the front side plate portion 511 of the link side plate 510 is in surface contact with a second flexional position restricting surface 511b″ of a front side plate portion 511″ of the succeeding link plate 510″.